2024 Honda CR-V RS e:HEV

HONDA is no stranger to electrification. In fact, the brand’s first foray into the tech was during a similar timeline with its chief rival Toyota, when it released the Insight with the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system. Now in 2024, Honda Cars Philippines is using the CR-V as a vehicle to debut their latest e:HEV i-MMD system. We’ve already taken the 2024 Honda CR-V RS e:HEV hybrid for a first drive a few months ago, but such a drive can only reveal so much about what it’s like to live with the car on a daily basis. Now that we’ve had a week with the brand’s electrified crossover SUV,

what’s it like to live with the CR-V RS e:HEV?

Let’s begin with what you’re most keen to find out — the hybrid electric drivetrain. Combining a 2.0-liter four-cylinder i-VTEC gasoline engine with two electric motors, the Honda e:HEV system is likewise a power-split (or series-parallel hybrid) just like the Toyota Hybrid System (THS). Where the two systems differ is with their transmissions. Yes, they both use an “e-CVT,” but that’s where the similarities end.

In the Toyota, the THS system has a planetary gear system, while in the Honda, things are a bit more clever (or complicated, depending on your perspective). The Honda system uses a “direct-drive” system that’s composed of two clutches. Not a dual-clutch transmission, mind you, but a low-speed lockup clutch and a high-speed lockup clutch. This setup has its own pros and cons, which means that it doesn’t necessarily make it a better system than Toyota’s, but it’s more a matter of preference.

With the Honda e:HEV system, the CR-V has one advantage that the Toyota can’t match — acting as if it’s a Nissan Kicks e-Power. What I mean by that is that the Honda’s engine can solely charge the battery and not drive the wheels. In the Toyota, due to the planetary gear system, whenever the engine charges the battery, it’s always connected to the wheels. This is why you sometimes feel vibrations at low speeds in Toyota hybrids versus the Honda, where they are pretty much nonexistent.

The Toyota, however, has the advantage of being more responsive when coming from a stop. It doesn’t mean that the Honda isn’t responsive, mind you. It’s just that the Toyota is much more instantaneous than the already responsive Honda system. But once again, that planetary gear system is also why the Toyota system introduces more engine droning when accelerating hard, whereas the Honda e:HEV system’s two-clutch system has been tuned to have pre-programmed shift points to mimic actual gear changes. Combined with its 2.0-liter engine that sounds nicer than whatever’s fitted in Toyota’s systems, the CR-V ends up as the sportier car to drive.

That sportier orientation is matched by a vehicle that somehow brings back the sportiness that was lost in the past two CR-V generations. This time around, Honda has managed to inject the CR-V with a bit of athleticism through its somewhat responsive steering that offers a decent road feel, along with excellent body control. The brakes are also extremely well-tuned because, unlike most electrified cars with regenerative brakes, the CR-V avoids the grabby, inconsistent initial brake bite feel associated with such systems. Basically, the CR-V RS e:HEV is the sportier and more natural to drive hybrid system.

Balance of sportiness, comfort

I still do think that the Mazda CX-5 or even the new CX-60 are sportier crossover SUVs, but Honda offers a better balance between sportiness and comfort. The rigid structure that quells vibrations combined with the long travel suspension enables the CR-V to absorb the worst imperfections. It’s pretty quiet, too, though I still find the RAV4 and especially the Tucson to be the benchmarks when it comes to road noise suppression.

Now, the main reason you get a hybrid is because of its fuel economy benefits, and that’s what you get in spades. Hovering at 17-24 km/liter, it’s mighty impressive, though in my hands, not necessarily better than the RAV4 Hybrid. Basically, your deciding factor for getting the RAV4 or the CR-V would be whether you want a more responsive system at low speeds or a sportier one at high speeds.

As good as the hybrid system is, how does the rest of the 2024 Honda CR-V RS e:HEV perform? Well, in the aesthetics department, the CR-V isn’t exactly breaking any new ground. The CR-V’s look is a careful evolution of the previous model, albeit with more straightforward lines and creases. There’s nothing exciting about it — even if sweeping LED turn signals above the LED headlights are standard, along with LED taillights. At the same time, there’s nothing inherently wrong with it, either, but the cleaner, more elegant design means it should age better than the previous model. The RS variant also gets body-colored cladding and black 18-inch wheels to set itself apart from the standard model.

The interior is likewise a similar situation as the exterior. By using the horizontal dash design of the Civic as a basis, it’s also not exactly a groundbreaking design. You can even call it iterative, but on the upside, it also means it feels premium with plenty of soft-touch materials as well as feeling robust in terms of quality. Ditto the physical controls — an area that Honda placed a lot of effort on because of how satisfying they feel yet ergonomically laid out.

Ergonomics are also why the tech inside the 2024 Honda CR-V RS e:HEV is easy to operate. The 10.2-inch digital gauges are highly customizable and highly configurable, while the 9-inch infotainment system has large icons that are easy to tap while on the move. The screen is even matched with physical controls, further making it easy to access features and menus with just a few taps. This comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across all variants, along with wireless charging. The Bose sound system, however, is unique to the CR-V RS e:HEV.

Finally, space is another area where the 2024 Honda CR-V excels. It’s a Honda, after all, so you expect its interior to be extremely well thought out. There’s plenty of adjustment for the driver through the steering and power-adjustable front seats that are standard across all variants, while those seated in the second row are treated to excellent head and legroom for three adults.

Because this is the hybrid model, it doesn’t come with third-row seating. It’s not a big deal since those are so tiny, it’s mostly relegated for emergency use, but importantly, this means you’ve got an enormous 589-liter cargo area. Unfortunately, unlike Toyota’s hybrids, Honda seems to have forgotten to package the lithium-ion battery. It’s literally just lying under the cargo area floor without any effort to cleanly integrate it into the packaging of the cargo area. Now that’s what you wouldn’t see in the RAV4 Hybrid.

Overall, the 2024 Honda CR-V RS e:HEV doesn’t necessarily rewrite the crossover SUV rulebook, yet even as the flagship of the CR-V range at P2.58 million, it’s what I think is the pick if you want the best CR-V in terms of the driving experience. The enthusiast-centric yet efficient hybrid system, combined with the lower price compared to the RAV4 Hybrid’s range-topping LTD variant, makes it almost a no-brainer to splurge for the Honda if a hybrid crossover SUV is what you’re after.

For most people, customers will be content with the base CR-V V Turbo. After all, despite the initial sticker shock, the price is justified because it already has most of the features you need and it nearly matches the previous range-topping i-DTEC SX AWD (all-wheel drive). The CR-V VTEC Turbo is a great crossover SUV, but add the hybrid system that, solely because it’s sportier to drive compared to the Toyota system, makes the CR-V one of the best crossover SUVs I’ve driven. It’s a crossover SUV that manages to do multiple things so well that its spectrum of talents is hard to enumerate one-by-one.